Bruce Arians: This isn’t a head coaching job for me

Posted by Josh Alper on October 3, 2012, 10:16 AM EST

The news of Colts coach Chuck Pagano’s leukemia diagnosis has led to an outpouring of support from around the NFL, but it also forced the Colts to make a decision about who would take over Pagano’s duties until he’s healthy enough to return.

They’ve decided to go with offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who has spent a long time doing a lot of different jobs on coaching staffs without ever ascending to the top spot. This obviously isn’t the way that Arians, who has survived his own bout with cancer, would have chosen to get his first swing at a top job which may be why he says that he isn’t viewing this as a head coaching gig.

“This isn’t a head coaching job for me right now,” Arians said, via the Associated Press. “It’s just an expanded role as coordinator until Chuck comes back.”

Uncomfortable as he might be about the circumstances, Arians has to view this as a head coaching job until Pagano is able to resume his duties. While Arians will still be calling plays for the offense, there needs to be one guy in charge of the big picture and the Colts have tabbed Arians for the role.

It’s good news, then, that Arians seems to be taking to the fuller role. Defensive end Robert Mathis said he’s been encouraging the defense instead of trash talking them as he did when he was just the team’s offensive coordinator. That’s a necessary step toward filling the void at the top of the Colts’ coaching staff.

..that awkward moment when Ariens realizes he just told the defense to throw a screen pass…

olcap says:Oct 3, 2012 11:22 AM

He should take it as a head coaching job, because he will never get a real HC job based on the merit of his football ‘smarts”, since, in that area, he is really dumb.

macdbeliever says:Oct 3, 2012 11:47 AM

Lotta people hating on a guy who didn’t ask to be in this position.

ialwayswantedtobeabanker says:Oct 3, 2012 12:17 PM

I fondly recall Arians as our Offensive Coordinator in Pittsburgh. Arians took heat where (IMO) it was not deserved, and created offensive game plans that were strong.

When your OL is already a bit spotty to begin with and what’s left of it gets decimated by injuries, it’s convenient to blame the OC. However, a closer look would reveal our OL in Pittsburgh was the real issue.

We won hardware with Arians. Yet, when he caught undeserved blowback – he handled it with customary class. I think Arians is handling this matter with class too — and that Indy, Luck and the Colt Nation have a lot to look forward to and someone they will appreciate in due time.

Some say Arizona is “Pittsburgh West” due to the infusion of Pittsburgh coaches and ex-players. Well, Indy might be starting to be a bit like “Pittsburgh Mid-West” given the style of football they’re going to start rocking. Arians is fresh out of Pittsburgh. And Coach Pagano came from Baltimore – who patterned everything they do out of what Pittsburgh had been doing for decades. Indy will play physical and to the whistle, and they will be much better than the 1-15 team Pagano and Arians inherited.

Finally and most importantly, major respect and well wishes to Coach Pagano.